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Opening day of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's lacrosse season is Jan. 31.
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For the third time in four seasons, the Boston University reached the Patriot League tournament championship game. The Terriers’ 11-5 record, which included an overtime win over Army, made them one of just six teams to win 10 games or more in each of the past four seasons.
They came up short of their ultimate goal when they fell in the Patriot League final for the second straight year, and now they return hungrier than ever for their first conference title and first NCAA tournament trip since 2022.
“We’re just trying to figure a way to get over the hump,” head coach Ryan Polley said.
Last year’s second-place Patriot finish was a bit of a surprise for a team that returned only three starters from 2024. All-American goalie Will Barnes and long-stick midfielder Trey Brown graduated from the defensive end, but Patriot League Rookie of the Year Timothy Shannehan and All-Patriot defenseman Connor Kehm are part of a promising core.
The Terriers had three of Inside Lacrosse’s 50 top-ranked impact freshmen. Shannehan was tops overall after posting 61 points on 32 goals and 29 assists — more than any NCAA rookie last year.
Murphy, a faceoff specialist, was 20th after winning 55.1 percent of faceoffs. He ranked second in the conference in win percentage and was the third-best freshman in country.
Pape, a midfielder, was 36th. He was fourth on the team with 20 points on 17 goals and three assists. Five of his goals came on the NCAA’s top-ranked man-up unit.
Their class was a big part of BU’s success last year, and they can’t rest on their laurels if the Terriers are to take a step forward.
“Just kind of keeping consistent in their work ethic and keeping their eye on the prize,” Polley said. “Just keep getting better each and every day so that their freshman year isn’t the highest point of their career, that they get better each and every year and certainly we'll be counting on them a lot this season.”
We’re just trying to figure a way to get over the hump.
Ryan Polley on Boston U's goals of taking the next step
The scoring defense finished 18th nationally last year, and Will Barnes leaves big shoes to fill. He ranked sixth nationally in save percentage and played all but 42 minutes last year. The fall saw sixth-year Michael Allieri, sophomore Connor Phillips, senior Kevin Barrett and freshman Zach Webb in a fairly wide open competition that now lingers into the spring with new assistant Parker Fairey overseeing the position.
“We’re going to be fine there, but certainly Will was pretty special,” Polley said.
Trey Brown, too, leaves a void as another second-team All-Patriot selection who was active in the middle of the field. He and Barnes helped a 10-man ride that held opponents to a .747 clear percentage.
It certainly helps to have Kehm back on close defense. The senior captain was a second-team All-Patriot League selection. He’s the complete package and will be starting for a third straight season.
“He can cover the ball, he’s great off the ground, he’s good in the clear,” Polley said. “He’s physical. He can play off ball. He understands IQ. So, he’s elite. And Logan Styles, now being his third year of playing for us and our best cover guy, is certainly taking some pressure off, so I’m fairly confident that our defense isn’t going to miss a beat as far as the guys in front of the cage.”
BU certainly has potential. Consistency again positioned the Terriers to compete for a conference title, but falling short for a third straight year sparked an internal assessment of how to reach that ultimate goal.
“It’s a little bit of attention to detail, a little bit changing some things in the sense that the standard needs to be raised a little bit, as far as conditioning and work ethic and doing those things because, for whatever reason, we are coming up a little bit short and need to identify some of those problems and attack them,” Polley said.
BU will have some changes on field with new assistant Mike Morgan. The former Merrimack coach who was at Tufts last year brings a blue-collar, tough attitude that is welcomed.
He also adds some flair to the offense. He has a strong returning group to mold, though BU must replace Jimmy O’Connell, who led the team in points (67) and assists (33). Shannehan was second in both categories and will continue to be a balanced force. Jimmy Kohr (43 goals) is back, and he will pick up some of the graduated feeding responsibilities after a breakout year.
“His role basically was to catch and shoot and catch and dodge,” Polley said. “We’ve asked him to be a little bit more on the creative side, a little bit more on the distributor side, and he’s done a great job with that.”
If the offense comes together, the ride remains tough and the goalie spot is firmed up in front of a strong defense, the Terriers could finally get over that pesky hump.
Justin Feil grew up in Central PA before lacrosse arrived. He was introduced to the game while covering Bill Tierney and Chris Sailer’s Princeton teams. Feil enjoys writing for several publications, coaching and running and has completed 23 straight Boston Marathons. Feil has contributed to USA Lacrosse Magazine since 2009 and edits the national high school rankings.
